Jane LePiontall
by Ciryl
Summary: the pathetic story of Valancy and Barney's granddaughter Jane LePiontall.
1. Chapter 1

Valancy Jane Sterling Snaith had now been a Snaith for much longer than she had been a Sterling- well, perhaps she had really been a Redfern for longer than she had been Sterling, but this was no time for semantics.

Her point in coming here today was not to discuss the issue of her name nor was it to discuss the issue of anyone's name. Rather, she came here today to settle a very important affair that she wished to remain a secret- an affair involving her granddaughter, Jane LePiontall.

Jane LePiontall had somehow been mixed up in a rather ridiculous affair that had the potential to ruin her name forever more. Jane, the sweet girl that she was, couldn't help but befriending a rather hopeless looking fellow. He had somehow tricked her into believing that if she married him, then all of her problems would be forever over.

Strangely enough, Jane LePiontall didn't have any problems to speak of-that is to say that she didn't have any problems to speak of before she met Mr. John Hying. However, Jane was so mesmerized by the sound of John Hying's voice that she couldn't help but loving him and believing every word that came out of his mouth.

It was only after their arrival in Melkings, that Jane realized what an awful person John Hying was. Of course, if she had only come to me, I could have told her that John Hying was not a person that she should associate with nor was he a person to be pitied. Yet, as it often is in my case, she didn't seek out my counsel- no one ever does though I do know quite a lot. I especially knew a lot about this particular case- after all, John Hying is my nephew.

So there poor Jane was- either she could continue on with a murder or she could return home as a branded women. Perhaps never to be thought of for her other wonderful characteristics but always as the woman who mistakenly trusted in John Hying.

Perhaps you are surprised that I call my nephew a murder, yet if you knew all that he had done, then you would call him the same. True enough, he didn't physically kill anyone but he killed her just the same. The law is a mockery, there was no man made law against what he had done. It was only prohibited by the law of God. I am ashamed to call him my nephew.

Yet, I must call him my nephew. Our kinship is not a title that I can forsake although every bone of my body longs for it each and every day.

Jane never asked me so it was her fault. But, please don't blame Jane, it may have been her fault but the blame didn't lie there. If you could see Jane, you would understand that she only deserved compassion and nothing less. Just pure compassion.

It had been at the train station that Jane decided that she could no longer go on with John Hying. But who could she turn to for help? Jane had been orphaned in infancy and had lived with her grandmother LePiontall until she was fifteen years old. But, when her grandmother Snaith had learned of her existence, she called for her immediately. Those six years had been the happiest of Jane's life. Yet, now that she had made such a blundering of things, she wasn't sure if she could turn back to the grandmother who loved her so freely after she so easily spat upon that love.

But, could Jane turn to her grandmother LePiontall? The grandmother who had hated her from her birth and could always find fault with her but never find praise? Grandmother LePiontall might have been geographically closer to Jane LePiontall at that moment, but in spirit they were eons apart.

Jane LePiontall truly wondered if her grandmother Snaith could forgive her what she had done and if she would ever take Jane back into her heart. Could the grandmother who had given her love so freely give it again once more after it had been spurned? Jane could only wonder but she sent the wire anyway.

Jane had seriously underestimated her grandmother. Valancy Snaith Redfern was not a woman to be reckoned with nor was she was woman who did not know how to forgive. There was no limit to her love. Valancy Snaith was also extremely smart and she knew that I knew more about the story than I'd ever let on.

That was the reason she came to see me today-to discuss the matter of her granddaughter Jane LePiontall and my nephew John Hying.


	2. Chapter 2

I showed Mrs. Redfern to my evening parlor even though it was mid-afternoon. My day parlor had long gone out of commission, ever since the neighbor's dog, Buster had torn it up. Some folks can't see the sense in having two parlors, but I always say it is better to be safe than to be sorry. That was how I always had lived my life- safe- at least, I tried to be safe but somehow I was never quite as safe as I wanted to be with my own heart.

"I'm afraid this isn't merely a social call, Miss Petters," Mrs. Redfern said as she said down on my rose colored silk divan.

Of course, I knew it wasn't a social call but I also knew a lot more than what I was willing to let on. So, I simply said, "OH" in my most questioning tone.

Mrs. Redfern then began to twirl the tassel on my divan so much that I was afraid it might fall off. "Yes, you see, I'm was greatly disturbed to find out that my granddaughter, Jane has run off with your nephew. But, she has written me, only she is very much afraid that John will come after her."

As she twirled my poor tassel round and round waiting, she continued with her sad tale of betrayal and waited for a response from me, I began to pity this poor lady. She already had her own daughter, Lacey, run off with Jane's father and now to have Jane run off. For any normal soul, that would have proved to be too much. But, Valancy Redfern was no normal creature. I was sure that she was beginning to think that there was something inherently wrong with her but I knew there wasn't. She had just been blessed with a fool for a daughter and a fool for a granddaughter. So I spoke, "Yes, I thought that those two might have done something as foolish as that. But, if she comes home, I doubt that John will bother her too much that is, if his price is met."

Mrs. Redfern looked up suddenly at that, with a queer kind of pain in her eyes. I realized then that she might think me in cahoots with John, only wanting poor Jane for her grandfather's millions. "Mrs. Redfern, John has never been like the rest of the Hyings who have been quite content to earn for themselves. He's always been a shiftless sort of a fellow. We thought that was his only fault until we all witnessed of the affair with Eliza DuBerry. Do you know about that?" I asked, knowing full well that she didn't.

As I expected, Valancy shook her head no and I was forced to tell a story that I was loathed to tell. "Well, you see, Eliza DuBerry was sort of like a niece to me too. Her ma had been my best friend when we were both just schoolgirls. Thicker than thieves, we were. Well, when Eliza's ma died when she was 16, she came and lived with me for two peaceful years. Those were very happy years, Mrs. Redfern, very happy years indeed."

I stopped for a moment, trying not to cry- for the next part of the story was harder to tell. "Anyways, the first summer after she was a living with me, John came to visit from out west. I hadn't had any particular aversion to John just then; I only thought that was a rather shiftless fellow who could have used a good swift kicking in the pants. However, every time Eliza looked at him, she had stars in her eyes. John took to her right off too; I suspect that he thought she had a big inheritance waiting from her ma. Only, she hadn't. After he found that out, he just tossed on her aside and left. My poor darling, John hadn't any right to do that. He told her things that no man should tell a woman unless he has every intention of marrying her. Only John hadn't, well he would have if she had been rich but since she wasn't, he didn't care. It broke Eliza's heart, each day she grew weaker and weaker until she finally died." By this point, I was actually crying, the memory of poor little 'Liza sitting on her deathbed telling me not to fret over her proved to be too much.

Mrs. Redfern came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder and let me cry. In a few minutes, I was quite myself again and felt a mite ridiculous for putting on such a show but memories are like that, I guess.

But there was more to my story and I knew that I had to go on, "If that were only the worst of it, Mrs. Redfern. It turned out that he had already been married back west and his wife came out a week after Eliza died mad as a hornet wanting to know were John had got off. It turned out that he left her with three youngens to take care and she wasn't about to be licked by no man."

At this point, Valancy gave out a started cry; every thing she learned about John Hying made her wonder who this awful man was that her granddaughter had married. All she could muster was a meek "How Awful!"

"Yes, indeedy "said I," But I think this where we can find something real helpful, the last time I checked up on his wife, they were still married."

Mrs. Redfern started at me, "That means that Jane's marriage isn't really legal."

"My thoughts exactly now all we need is a plan to make sure that John won't come knocking around here or anywhere else anytime soon."


End file.
